PRIMARY PACKAGING LAB

A Look Inside the Lab...

Product shelf-life is primarily dependent upon multidimensional interactions between packaging materials, packaging structure, and the products themselves. The Primary Packaging Laboratory provides diverse primary packaging testing services as well as research and development projects designed specifically to meet the needs of the primary packaging industry. The lab’s services are in high demand because the evaluation of existing and future products and systems is essential to both manufacturers and consumers. The constant development of new packaging materials and/or systems is highly demanded by our global society of fast moving consumer trends and cultural diversity.

The research team is focused on developing and investigating the structure and functionality of new, composite, packaging materials. The team is researching both a variety of natural and synthetic polymers and the active agents such as antioxidants or antimicrobials derived from biomaterials. They are also studying the composite structures of carbon based nanomaterials and other inorganic nanomaterials. The extraction of biopolymeric materials from a biomass and its utilization in packaging has been funded by both government sources and private industry.

The lab’s team also provides third-party primary packaging materials testing services using official, standard ASTM, ISO or TAPPI methods. This includes packaging materials evaluation and analysis, as well as packaging structure development and packaging materials testing. Package testing, as well as package materials testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new package designs and primary packaging materials are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Gas Barrier Property Measurement

Water vapor permeability is a measure of the passage of water vapor through a material. It is also known as water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) or moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR). It is the mass of water vapor that is transmitted through a measured area in a specific unit of time under specified conditions of temperature and humidity. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Oxygen barrier property is the key of packaging system to protect the products from oxidation. Oxygen permeability may vary with temperature, humidity, pressure, and specimen thickness. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Headspace gas analyzing refers to the measuring of O2 or CO2 concentrations within a package. This testing is imperative for accurate shelf-life predictions of finished packages, including MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) and vacuum-packed products. Sample testing is necessary as the atmosphere in a package cannot be strictly and indefinitely controlled; it can only be modified. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Thermal Analysis

There are many different types of thermal analyzers that are the key pieces of equipment used to measure the thermal properties of packaging polymers and ingredients. The DSC measures heat flows and temperatures associated with changes in temperature in a material. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Thermal analysis is a necessary part of primary packaging testing. This Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer helps us measure the stiffness and damping properties of materials as the materials are deformed under stress. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

This is the third thermal analyzer that is a key piece of equipment used to measure the thermal properties of packaging polymers and ingredients. The Thermogravimetric Analyzer is used to determine the change in a material’s properties as temperature changes. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Rheology

This test gives an evaluation of the rheological behavior of packaging materials, and it is crucial for developing new packaging materials and their internal structures. We can measure the intrinsic viscosity, melt viscosity, and relative viscosity of materials which are all dynamically related to melt flow during processing. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

These tests give evaluations of the rheological behavior of packaging materials, and it is crucial for developing new packaging materials and their internal structures. This Viscometer determines the measure of viscosity for a lab specimen for a specific flow conditions. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Spectroscopy

The UV-Vis spectrophotometer utilizes a high-intensity xenon lamp and dual-beam optical geometry to deliver analytical data necessary for the study of a specimen. Spectroscopy is the interaction of radiated energy with matter, resulting in absorption, reflection or scattering – it is the technique of splitting light into its constituent wavelengths (a spectrum), in much the same way as a prism splits light into a rainbow of colours. We can use spectroscopy to determine the structure and functional groups in organic compounds. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

The fluorescence spectrometer uses spectroscopy to analyze the fluorescence of a lab specimen. Spectroscopy is the interaction of radiated energy with matter, resulting in absorption, reflection or scattering – it is the technique of splitting light into its constituent wavelengths (a spectrum), in much the same way as a prism splits light into a rainbow of colours. We can use spectroscopy to determine the structure and functional groups in organic compounds. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Makes use of step-scan to perform FTIR spectroscopy experiments. Spectroscopy is the interaction of radiated energy with matter, resulting in absorption, reflection or scattering – it is the technique of splitting light into its constituent wavelengths (a spectrum), in much the same way as a prism splits light into a rainbow of colours. We can use spectroscopy to determine the structure and functional groups in organic compounds. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Other Analytical Testing

This test quantitatively determines seal performance, seal quality, burst pressure, compression resistance, torsion force, and joint/disengaging force of flexible packages, aseptic packages, various plastic pilfer-proof closures, flexible tubes, caps, as well as other materials. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Using X-ray diffraction, the crystallinity of packaging polymers and ingredients are easily determined and the miscibility of composite materials is also evaluated. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

In today’s worldwide markets, packaged-products are likely to be shipped to, or at least through, a diverse array of climates. Environmental condition testing is important in helping to develop packaging that can withstand various temperatures and humidity levels. Our equipment can replicate various levels so that materials can be studied for durability in all conditions. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Contact angle is a measurement used to determine a surfaces hydrophilic or hydrophobic properties. The ability of a liquid to spread over a surface with out forming droplets determines its hydrophilic characteristics. In contrast to this, a surface that does not allow the water to spread and instead creates water droplets or beading is considered to be hydrophobic. The contact angles are precise measurements of the surface energy of the material itself vs. the cohesive forces associated with water or other liquids being tested. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Ion exchange chromatography involves the separation of ionizable molecules based on their total charge. This technique enables the separation of similar types of molecules that would be difficult to separate by other techniques. Ion exchange chromatography is commonly used to separate charged biological molecules such as proteins, peptides, amino acids, or nucleotides. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Moisture Content Analyzing combines state-of-the-art heating with highly accurate weighing technology to deliver a faster, more precise method of moisture analysis of practically any substance. The instrument operates on the thermogravimetric principle. At the start of the measurement, the MB45 determines the weight of the sample; the sample is then quickly heated by the integral halogen dryer unit and moisture vaporizes. During the drying operation, the instrument continuously determines the weight of the sample and displays the result. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations.

Misc. Equipment for Testing

Here are more types of tests that are performed regularly in our laboratory setting, and the details of the remaining testing equipment that we have in this lab. These are all specifically for testing primary packaging materials. Package materials testing, as well as package evaluation and testing, are important parts of the research and development process. Testing helps ensure that new primary packaging materials and package designs are created specifically to handle real-world situations. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, feel free to contact us; we can customize almost any test to match your specific needs.